Dennis taps into Facebook craze

Facebookers of the world who while away their waking hours on the social networking website poking friends and playing Scrabulous can now read all about it - in a Facebook magazine.

Dennis Publishing is getting in on the Facebook craze by launching a "bookazine" - a magazine/book hybrid - about the networking website.

Facebook magazine: includes a section on how to create a real-life Facebook event
The bookazine, which hit shops this week in time for the Christmas market, is part of the magazine company's growth strategy.

The 148-page publication, produced without the cooperation of the social networking website, includes articles "Famous on Facebook" and "Create a real life Facebook event".

"Like many media companies we have a huge amount of Facebook fans at Dennis - we thought we could channel that enthusiasm with our expert knowledge of 'how to' bookazines to make a really compelling product that taps into a massive consumer interest at exactly the right time.

"The bookazine will be bought by Facebook experts and novices alike, as it covers everything from a step by step guide to getting started through to smart security tips."

Dennis has developed 15 Dennis bookazines on topics including iPhone, the iPod, high-definition television and men's fitness.

Other magazine companies such as the National Magazine Company also regularly produce bookazines.

Dennis has printed 20,000 copies of the Facebook bookazine, fewer than a normal magazine, but the bookazine costs £5.99 and has a longer shelf life than magazines, staying on shelves for up to six months.

Dennis will monitor sales before deciding if it will produce a sequel.

The Dennis chief executive, James Tye, said: "The Facebook bookazine highlights the spirit of innovation that we encourage as a company and shows how quickly a great idea can be developed and launched.

"Our new product development team at Dennis was launched to work on exactly this basis and bring products to life swiftly."

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